1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to electromechanical speech aids commonly referred to as artificial larynxes and electrolarynxes, and more particularly to an improved electrolarynx construction that significantly reduces fabrication time and expense while improving operational aspects.
2. Description of Related Art
Persons without normal use of their vocal cords or larynx often use an electrolarynx to speak. The electrolarynx includes a sound-producing transducer that delivers an electrolarynx tone having a fundamental frequency in the speech range of the average human voice. To speak, the user introduces this artificially generated tone into a resonant speech cavity (i.e., the mouth, nose, or pharynx). While doing so, the user modulates the electrolarynx tone by varying the shape of the resonant speech cavity and by making the usual tongue, teeth, and lip constrictions so as to articulate the modulated tone as human speech.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,812,681 and 6,252,966 issued to Clifford J. Griffin describe some existing electrolarynxes. Similar in some respects to other existing artificial larynxes, each of the Griffin electrolarynxes includes a four-inch to five-inch long cylindrically shaped case that houses a electronic circuit board, a battery, an electro-mechanical transducer for producing vibrations (i.e., the tone), a volume control, and an ON-OFF switch. The user grasps the case, actuates the ON-OFF switch and volume control, and then presses the transducer portion of the electrolarynx against the outside of their throat so that vibrations travel through the throat tissues and into the mouth and throat. By varying pressure on the pushbutton switch of one model, the user varies the frequency of the tone to produce a more readily comprehensible voice.
One concern common to manufacturers of such electrolarynxes is fabrication cost. Assembling all the components in the cylindrical (or other shape) case can be a time consuming, high skill, and expensive task. Moreover, inadequate fabrication techniques can adversely affect performance. So, manufacturers seek improved techniques for facilitating fabrication.
Consider, for example, the task of connecting two wires from the circuit board to the sound-producing transducer. After mounting the circuit board in a mid portion of the hollow case, an assembler routes two wires from the circuit board to a hollow distal end portion of the case in which the transducer is located. The assembler routes the two wires longitudinally from the circuit board to the distal end portion. Next, from the inner wall of the distal end portion, the assembler routes the two wires circumferentially and radially inward toward two attachment points on an upper surface of the transducer housing. Then, the assembler glues or otherwise attaches terminal ends of the wires to the transducer housing at the two attachment points. The assembler may temporarily secure the wires in place with small alligator clips as glue dries to hold the wires to the attachment points, and after waiting for the glue to dry, remove the alligator clips and proceed with the rest of the assembly procedure.
One major concern of the foregoing is that assembly requires considerable skill and time. In addition, wire improper wire placement can adversely affect transducer operation. Thus, manufacturers need an electrolarynx with fabrication facilitating features that better reduce fabrication costs and insured desired electrolarynx performance.